Google, Give Me My $30,000 Back!

I reported at the Search Engine Roundtable that one new AdWords advertiser found a $30,000 surprise from Google in her AdWords account. The advertiser said in a Google AdWords thread that she set up a test ad one night and when she returned the next morning to see how the ad was doing, she noticed she ran up a bill for almost $30,000.

I am not sure how an advertiser can make such a big mistake. To accrue $30,000 of clicks overnight, you need to be bidding on some pretty expensive generic keywords. But then again, you would think Google would have some checks to prevent new advertisers from making such a mistake. I am not saying Google is at fault here, it may be that the post is a joke or a lie. I don’t know. I did email Google for a comment on the following three questions:

1. Is this case true, did this woman accidently spend $30,000 overnight with Google?
2. What is Google planning doing about this case? I know Google does offer refunds, as a courtesy, to some customers who make mistakes.
3. What type of controls does Google have in place on new accounts to prevent such bills?

If we hear back from Google with answers, I will make sure to update this post.